How’s it going in New Orleans?

For those who aren’t in the know, the American House of Bishops are currently meeting in New Orleans discussing how they’re going to get along with the rest of the Anglican Communion. Matt Kennedy has blogged this morning’s open session trying to frame a communiqué, and has the following wonderful quote:

3. We urge all the provinces of the AC to engage in the listening process encouraged by Lambeth 1.10 and we look forward to hearing from the results of this process. The ACC is the only body possessing a written constitution (missed this section)

4. We have attempted to respond to the request of the primates to clarify the meaning of B033. There is disagreement within this House as to how B033 is to be interpreted and applied. We recognize the challenge that our disagreement causes in the communion and we ask for forbearance

5. No public rite for ssbs has been authorized. Even in the absence of such rites we acknowledge that the presence of such rites, private or public, remains troublesome for some. The issue remains troubling for us as a House and there is no consensus on how to proceed.

No consensus on how to proceed on Same-Sex Blessings? Perhaps All Saints Beverly Hills can give a guide:

Robert Walter Stanley and Robert Karl Marohn celebrated their union yesterday at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills, Calif. The Rev. Gabriel Ferrer led the commitment ceremony. The Rev. Maryetta Anschutz, also an Episcopal priest, participated.

Nice. To be honest with you, it seems a bit one-sided of the House of Bishops to demand that the rest of the Communion engage in the Listening Process while they ignore every other line of the relevant 1998 Lambeth Resolution. And if the best defence for this weekend’s activities in Holywood is that the rite used for this ceremony wasn’t authorised, and therefore didn’t conflict with B033, then it’s really time to move on isn’t it?